Stage 2 water limits staying

Police and wrecker crews work at the scene of a fatal accident involving a garbage truck that took place about 5:30 a.m. on Loop 410 near West Military drive. The driver of the truck was believed to be a male in his 30s and was ejected from the vehicle. No other vehicles were involved.

San Antonio will welcome 2013 in the same drought restriction that dominated 2012, with little chance of it being lifted, officials said.

A light but steady drizzle on Monday led to rain-slicked roads, contributing to a fatal rollover crash on Loop 410 near West Military Drive, but it did little to ease the ongoing drought, Greg Flores, spokesman for the San Antonio Water Systems, said in an email Monday.

“The rain does not appear to be enough to help aquifer levels rebound,” Flores said. “We will likely recommend later this week that the city remain in Stage 2.”

By city ordinance, San Antonio enters Stage 2 drought restrictions when the J-17 monitoring well near Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston drops below 650 feet above sea level. The rules limit outdoor watering with an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose to once per week between the hours of 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

San Antonio has been under those restrictions since April.

For the past month, the J-17 well has been oscillating between 650 and 651. On Monday the official reading was 651.1.

SAWS could recommend to the city manager that those restrictions be eased to Stage 1 and extend the irrigation hours from midnight to 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight.

But as Flores explained, SAWS expects the Edwards to drop as it usually does when irrigation for farming begins in February and March, so it is going to leave the current restrictions in place.

Farmers who are also dependant on the Edwards are in a similar position as San Antonio. Both will start the New Year with a 20 percent reduction in their pumping permits from the Edwards and expect it to be reduced to at least 30 percent in Medina and Bexar County and 35 percent in Uvalde unless significant rains start to fall soon.

“We have not had rain in months” said Adam Yablonski, a Medina County farmer. “You just look out your window, it's devastating out there. We are going on two years of not having decent grass out in the pasture.”

Joe Baskin, forecaster with the weather service, said it is unlikely San Antonio or the farmers will have much respite in the coming months.

“Really, I think we are looking at slightly less than normal (rainfall) for the next several months,” he said, pointing out that the region has never fully recovered from the intensity of the drought in 2011 and has not had serious rain since 2007. “I don't think you will ever be able to make up for that deficit.”

The weather system that brought Monday's rain is expected to be pushed eastward today, ushering in two cooler, drier days followed by a slight chance of rain on Thursday, according to Baskin.

Today's temperatures are expected to be as low as 39 degrees with a high of 62.